Talkin' 'Bout Chocobos
by Sora no Kioku's old account
Summary: Hope has been living on Gran Pulse for about a year now. He found a nice, small field to settle down in and built a chocobo ranch. Snow finds Hope and offers to help raise the chocobos, saying he has no place on Cocoon. Not anymore, now that Serah left. Discontinued.


**Warning:** This will contain spoilers for Final Fantasy XIII. I'm talking about end-of-the-game spoilers. It does take place three years after the events of Final Fantasy XIII, after all.

**Pairing(s): **There will be Snow X Hope in this fanfiction. To what extent, I'm not sure as of yet. But for right now, it's going to be rated T just in case – and probably will stay that way.

**More info: **Read all of this notice thing before jumping to conclusions! Do not expect me to finish this fanfiction! I have a bad habit of starting fanfiction and just leaving it alone for months. However, I will try my best and complete this fanfic. I'm really into this pairing right now and have finished the game, which I have come to love. Hopefully, I will actually finish this. But please do NOT ask me when I'll post up the next chapter. I don't know when I will. Please keep in mind I'm a high school student. (Junior, to be exact.) I have school work I must do and in order to graduate, that comes first. I may only be able to write on weekends and even then, I have a few people proofread it. So please be patient with me. It may take at least a week for me to update.

**Messaging:** If you have any questions, corrections, or suggestions for me pertaining to this story, please send me a message (make sure to tell me what story your message is about) and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Due to home schooling, I may get back to you within a few minutes. Don't be shy about messaging me. I don't bite and I will be kind and polite in my response, maybe even a bit carefree if you catch me in a good or regular mood. :) If I don't reply instantly to your message, I'm either asleep or in a bad mood. I'd rather not yell at some random stranger when I'm grumpy. I don't think either you or I would like that too much. XD

_**Thank you for taking your time to read this. Please sit back, relax, grab a few snacks and maybe a cold drink, and enjoy the fanfiction.**_

He loved the snow. He loved how the white crystallized flakes fluttered down to join with the many others that dusted the frozen ground, even though he knew they'd be gone once the sun rose. He loved how unbelievably white the whole thing could be. But more of that, it was the memories that came to him. It was the people he was reminded, the people who he knew were true friends. The simple act of remembering started with the simple name. Every single time someone spoke of the frozen vapor while he was in the village near his small, two-story house, he would lift his head and focus his attention completely on the ones speaking. He even caught himself looking around frantically for the man, the one who invaded his vision whenever he heard that simple name and who would no doubt be accompanied by at least two others; two sisters who had had come to know well and had even visited on a few occasions, one more so than the other. But alas, there was no sign of those he had grown rather fond of. While his hopes rose at the mere mention of anything that even related to his friends, they would come crashing down once more at the realization that they weren't there and they had in fact separated after the events three years ago.

Even now, as his blue-green gaze focused solely on the snow gently drifting down to the ground all around him, he was going through each and every single memory he had kept so dear to him. He could remember from the time his mother had decided to take up a gun and join in on a rebellion to the very end of their journey, when Serah and Dajh came from the horizon. Every single little detail and every single word, he could remember clearly as if it had happened merely yesterday instead of three years ago. He was a mere child then, only at the age of fourteen. Many things had happened. His mother fell to her death. He was turned into what he deemed a 'monster' many times before. He had nearly died a few times himself. He almost killed a man who he had found out had promised his mother to protect him. He gained freedom from the father he had never had any emotional connection to. He had traveled to a whole new world and saw things he thought had never existed. He actually gained friends who cared for his well-being. And, with those friends, he saved the world from the clutches of a ruler who wanted to end the lives of every single human living on that world. Two of his friends had even sacrificed themselves to make sure that they protected the lives of many others. What made his heart ache more than ever, though, was the separation that followed. They tried to stay in contact, but in the past two years, that had been slowly dwindling and he had even lost contact with one of the people he was closest to.

Letting a wispy sigh escape from purple-tinged lips, he finally realized just how cold it was up here in the high mountains, suddenly shuddering violently at the realization. He glanced beside him at the large beast towering over him, the soft cooing filling his ears as the head dipped down and rubbed his neck affectionately. He lifted his gloves hands and ran his fingers across the feathery down of the avian neck. He knew very well that the large bird would appreciate this, just as it always had. Despite how frigid it was, he couldn't even think about going home yet. No... He wanted to take in the scenery a bit more. He wanted to watch as each delicate flake floated down, flicking this way and that every time the gentlest of breezes swept by. Just standing here and watching the frozen beauty drift down was enough to calm the teenager to the point of nearly falling asleep right where he stood. However, he knew that falling asleep up here would mean certain death and if he didn't travel down soon, surely the villagers would begin questioning where he had run off to so early in the morning.

He stumbled as he felt a hard beak nudge his back, turning his head over his shoulder before he let a gentle smile curl onto his lips, turning his full body so he could stroke the bird's head. "I'll head back as soon as the sun rises. It should be over the mountain in no time," he reassured the saddled mount, gaining a soft cooing in return. Unlike before, it wasn't as affectionate. Instead, it was as if the intelligent bird doubted his word or even regretted taking the male up so early. Pausing as he saw the snow began to glimmer in front of him, the silver-haired male quickly turned on his head, hearing the snow shift behind him. The sun's rays were just as brilliant as they were yesterday, shooting across the sky just as the bright orb lifted itself slowly from the horizon. He waited for only a moment until a small cooing came from his left ear and, flicking his eyes towards the direction of the familiar sound, instantly located the source. He let out yet another sigh as he trailed his hand down the bird's side, strode up to the saddle, and quickly mounted. He gathered the reigns in his hands and began his descent down the mountain trail. Despite how steep it was, he trusted his mount would make it to the very bottom without harming neither mount nor rider. He had, after all, raised the cream-feathered creature ever since it hatched from an egg.

* * *

To the teenager's surprise, the mountain valley wasn't as cold as it was up in the mountains. In fact, there was no trace of snow to be seen – and he knew it wasn't because of the sun's rising. He knew that he shouldn't have been surprised by this, considering that he had lived here for the past year now and had heard from all the villagers, but he couldn't help it. No matter how many stories or facts he heard, he would never shake the 'cool' feeling (as he described it) he got whenever he descended from the snow-covered mountains in winter. This place, which he had come to call 'home', continued to surprise him with every gentle shift of the seasons. Though it never mattered what season it was, the lakes and rivers were always full and provided the valley with all the water it possibly needed, whether it was from rainfall in the summer and autumn or the snow in winter and spring.

Blue-green eyes scanned the horizon once more as he leaned forward from his position on top of the tall fence, his ankles hooked around each other as his hands gently rested against the wood he sat upon. He let out a gentle sigh and dipped his head down into the green scarf he had kept through all these years, taking in the scent of the freshly-cleaned fabric as he tried his best to warm his rosy nose and cheeks. What was taking them so long? The sun was already shining brilliantly in the sky, reflecting off of the small puddles and ponds scattered across the vast landscape. The morning dew had nearly evaporated by now, despite the cool conditions, but there was no sight of anyone on the horizon. He contemplated whether or not to travel to the village to see if the children would come for their lessons today or not, but decided to dismiss it. He had to make sure that the injured one of the flock would be okay this morning.

He let his eyes wander to the large feathered mounts flocked together near the feeding bin, a gentle smile playing along his hidden lips. Oh, how he loved these guys... They were larger than the ones on Cocoon, yet smaller than the ones on Gran Pulse, but they were still docile in nature and quite lovable creatures. He found comfort in them, just as they had in him. Despite being alone for nearly a year, he had grown rather accustomed to each and every avian roaming the fenced-in fields. Once he was pretty sure his lower face was now warmed, he let his head rise once again as he pushed off the chest-high fence, letting out a loud whistle for the large birds to hear. Thankfully, that's all he needed to do to catch their attention, as all five of them turned their heads towards him and instantly flocked over once they realized that he was actually on the inside of the fence. He laughed lightly as the different colored birds affectionately nipped at his ears, hair, and clothes, having to push back some of the heads in order to have a little space, though he did make sure to return the affection by stroking their feathers. He tugged the brown gloves off of his hands and shoved them into the back pocket of his jean pants, letting his fingers actually feel the feathers. "You guys know I was only whistling for the newest edition to the flock. C'mon, lemme check them out to see if she's okay," he reminded them as if they could understand every word he said.

As most of the small flock went off to join the others roaming the field, he carefully examined the one that had stayed behind. Though this one was the largest of the group (though not the largest; that spot was reserved for his most trusted one), it was the most docile and kind one, almost like a mother. The boy figured it was because the bird had belonged to an owner once before and had never been out in the wilds alone before. He figured it had once been the beloved pet of a child with its motherly nature. He let out a gentle sigh as he shook his head, running his hand down the red chocobo's leg as he squatted down to get a better look. "Why anyone would leave such a valuable chocobo behind to fend for herself, I'll never know. Your feathers are the most beautiful color I have ever seen. Then again, this color is rare, isn't it?" he muttered, checking over the wound to make sure it was no longer infected, like it had been last week. He hummed lightly and stood straight, caressing the feathered beast's side. He received the red chocobo's affection right back, the avian pushing itself head against his chest, shoulders, and neck all while making a soft cooing.

After a moment, he pulled away and gave the chocobo's side an affectionate pat. "Now go on and meet up with the others. I'm sure they're waiting for you near the river," he told the understanding animal. Without any hesitation or protest, the red fowl let out its normal call and ran off to follow the boy's suggestion. He made no sound as he made his way back to the fence, easily climbing over it and jumping off the other side. Through the gaps only just small enough to not let the chocobos out, he watched as they ran across the vast field, his most trusted and closest one right out in front. His gaze softened as his small smile faded at the mere thought of the friend the chocobo reminded him of in every single way possible. He chuckled lightly and a gentle smile returned at this thought and the thoughts that followed, his head shaking as he pushed away from the fence and turned on his heel. "I swear. If he somehow died when I lost contact with him, you're his reincarnation," he noted with an amused tone only to go unheard. He let his foot leave the ground and step forward, his other foot soon following right after. Soon enough, his legs were carrying him towards the only two-story building in the whole field. It didn't take as long as he thought it would and within only a minute, his hand rested on the handle of the screen door. "Nah, he's too stubborn to die. Just like Light said."

* * *

Throughout the day, the silver-haired teenager continued to glance out the window for any sign of anyone, but there was still none. He had even ventured out to check on the chocobos, but nothing changed. The only things different were the airships that flew ahead every few hours. Even then, it was a monthly occurrence now that the village was discovered. But did that mean that they got visitors? Of course not. The village was relatively left alone, save for a few travelers who would rest their chocobos at the ranch and camp out in the spare room of the teenager's house. He never worried about people stealing things or taking his chocobos or life because he knew that none of his material possessions were that important and his chocobos would always come back to him. His life? Well, he made sure not to give anyone a chance to even try. Then again, nobody had tried. Or at least, if they did, then he was pretty certain he hadn't noticed. Either way, he wasn't worried about strangers sleeping in the spare rooms of the medium-sized house. He was pretty sure it was too large for just him to live in all the time, after all.

Finally giving up on the thought of anyone visiting, he finished cleaning off the last dirty dish (not that there was many in the first place) and set it on the towel on the counter to cry. He dried off his hands on the hand towel hanging off the oven's handle, wasting no time to slip on his shoes and make his way out into the cooling air. He didn't really seem to mind that the sun was just now beginning to dip below the horizon and the slight breeze made the air seem cooler than what it actually was. In fact, he completely ignored these facts as he let his feet take him to the gate to the fenced-in field of chocobos. He made sure to close the gate behind him to avoid letting any of the ostrich-like creatures out. Hew knew It would be a hassle to round them all up again. Yes, they were loyal, but that didn't mean there were some trouble-makers in the flock. Dismissing the stressing thoughts of having to capture his chocobos, he whistled loudly at the sight of the birds. "Frost! I need you, big guy!" he called, instantly gaining the attention of the cream chocobo. With a wark, the largest of the flock quickly ran towards the silver-haired boy. It slowed down once it neared him, lowering its head and picking at the boy's hair. He titled his head sharply to the side, letting his head lightly bump into the beak. He made sure to be careful not to hurt either of them and yet still silently tell the chocobo to stop messing with his hair. He reached up and stroked the feathers gently when the chocobo listened to his silent request. "Thank you. Sorry boy, but I don't want you to eat my hair today," he told the fowl with a content smile playing along his lips.

He rounded the large mount and placed his hands on top of it's back. He pushed down and tried to pull himself up only to get one knee onto the largest chocobo of the flock. Giving a small warble, the chocobo lowered its head and turned it, helping the boy up onto its back by pushing the boy's side, back, and rear. Only a few seconds later and he was sitting confidently on the tall mount with his gloved hands gently gripping the soft feathers. He double checked to make sure his legs were placed between the chocobo's wing and its body before he lightly kicked the sides to get to to at least start walking. "Whenever you're ready," he assured the feathered creature beneath him. Frost cooed gently in response and quickly gained speed, feeling its owner tilted forward in order to not be throw off. The two sped towards the fence and, ignoring the cries and warks of the other chocobos, didn't even slow down for even a moment. The large flightless bird jumped into the air once it was close enough to the fence, opening its wings as if it would help. Both rider and mount landed safely on the other side moments later. But that didn't mean that they stopped running across the fields. Frost let out a loud cry of enthusiasm and pride as it dashed across the grassy area and straight into the forest that covered most of the mountains all around them.

The 17-year-old male could feel the smile on his lips growing even larger at the feel of speeding past every tree. From below him, he could hear the claws scrape across rock, dirt, grass, and tree roots alike as trees and bushes whizzed by in a blur. However, the feeling last only a few minutes due to the bird not being able to run that fast for very long. Feeling the creature slow down to a walk, the boy sat up and ran a hand through his near-shoulder-length layered hair in order to work out an tangles and knots he acquired during their mad dash through the valley. Once done with that, he gave the bird's neck an affectionate pat to gain a soft warble in return. "I hear water nearby. Let's take a rest before we head back. I don't want to get caught by any of the nocturnal predators," he spoke. He could both feel and hear the bird breath deeply and let it out slowly as they began their journey to the sound of running water. He knew it must be close, considering that they both could hear it, but he didn't know exactly where it was – nor what else was visiting it.

His breath hitched as he heard splashing and rocks shifting below some sort of weight. He tugged lightly on the feathers to silently command the chocobo to slow down. The bird complied without any sound of protest. His blue-green eyes scanned the forested area and could see a dull shimmering. From what he could gather by the rest of his surroundings, the water (most likely a creek) was reflecting the dim light on the other side of the wall of trees. Silently removing one hand from the chocobo's neck, he slowly moved it to his hip where a bag was clipped onto his belt. He lifted up the flap, all of his muscles freezing at the click that accompanied from the button unlatching itself. To him, it seemed to echo through the whole forest for every beast to hear. And if his ears didn't deceive him, that also meant the thing at the creek heard him. He strained to listen to every single sound around him, from the flutter of leaves to the small pit-pat of some small scavenger. There. The sound of crunching pebbles.

He slid his hand into the black pouch, letting his fingers clasp around the first – and only – wooden object found within. Careful not to let his weapon of choice slide against the metal button, he pulled it out of its place and worked on sliding off of the large bird, though he ended up having a bit of help in this. He silently thanked the chocobo with a gentle stroke near the beak before he nudged the bird's sides. When it didn't get the idea, he rolled his eyes and gave a light shove and glanced in the direction he wanted it to go. Finally understanding his plan, the bird turned in the direction its caretaker was trying to lead it, not hesitating to walk in the direction. Making sure that each step was just as quiet as the next, the teen edged towards the creek. He could hear more gravel crunch and saw a glimpse of the creature, though he wasn't even sure of what he saw. All he could figure out was that whatever this was, it was fairly large and possibly a danger to either his chocobo or himself. He knew that a lot of the predators here would follow him if they heard they were near. And most likely, the beast already had an idea that they were around and was now searching for them.

He carefully unfolded his weapon, revealing it to be a boomerang; the perfect long-distance weapon for him. With the technology now found on both Gran Pulse and Cocoon, he knew that he could be able to control its direction. Though truthfully, he would've preferred using magic and casting spells to make sure he stayed a nice distance away from any enemy and still weaken them somehow if they had any immunities to physical attacks, but alas, that ability had faded along with his brand and his title as a l'Cie three years ago. Putting aside all thoughts of what his life was like when he was a l'Cie, he inched forward when he thought it was safe to, boomerang raised and ready to be thrown. Once again, he caught the glimpse of the creature lurking behind the bushes and trees he used as a shelter. But as soon as he did, it ducked down. Great. So now it knew he was here and it was ready to pounce. Well, at least he knew its location. Without thinking much about it, he chucked the boomerang forward, the weapon bursting out of the foliage and towards its target.

"Ow! Hey, that hurt! I try to get some water and I'm attacked! Sheesh!"

His eyes widened as he realized just whose voice was that was. Could he be daydreaming? No, he hardly did that. Maybe it was someone else and he was just mistaking the voice. Before he could even be given some time to think about what he was doing, his feet moved him through the foliage and out into the open. There, on the other side of the creek, was a muscled man who seemed to be taller than even six foot. Light blond hair plastered on the masculine face, water dripping off of the light traces of a beard. The man, not even noticing his attacker was out in the open, looked around with a hand on the top of his head. He let out a heavy sigh and shook his head as he lowered his hand and let his blue eyes shift to the boomerang in his other hand. No wonder it didn't return to its owner... Feeling eyes upon him, he finally lifted his gaze. Instantly, both pairs of eyes met and, though it took a moment, the larger man offered a large grin as he stood.

The boy, however, didn't even register everything that was happening until he found himself pulling away from a nearly bone-crushing hug. (Though he was sure that the other hadn't meant it to be that tight.) He tilted his head and looked up at the familiar face with a gaze of confusion. 'He hasn't changed a bit,' he thought. No... He was wrong. There was something there, after all. _'His eyes... What happened? Why do they look like that? Why do they look so...?' _He didn't even get a chance to ask the one question bugging him the most as he blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

The taller one pulled away completely and folded the boomerang, handing it back to its rightful owner. The grin didn't even fade as he replied, "Light told me you owned a chocobo ranch down here and were running it on your own. So I thought that maybe I should help out."

Of course... Always putting others before himself. That was the perfect description of the man standing in front of the 17-year-old. "What about Serah? Shouldn't you be on Cocoon with her?" he questioned. "I thought you two were married. Why'd you come here if you were-" He instantly cut off as he saw a flash of emotion run through the blue eyes he hadn't realized he was staring into until now. His lips formed a thin line as he tried to put the pieces together, but before he could figure out what emotion had been there, it was gone without a trace. Without taking his eyes off the other, he slid the boomerang back into its place. As the other past l'Cie struggled to find an answer, or at least a reasonable one, the silver-haired one gained the courage to speak the question that rang out loud and clear in his mind; "What happened? You were fine when we last spoke."

The man hesitated before he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, taking a few steps back. He stumbled across the creek and picked up the soaked black bandanna from one of the boulders. "That was over a year ago, Hope. Some things happened after I lost contact with you. I wasn't the hero she was looking for," he finally spoke after he had already tied the bandanna around his head once more.

Hope stood right where the other had left him, his legs refusing to move. "I don't get it..." Lies. He knew what it was. But he also knew that he didn't want to accept it. He had even been there and congratulated them. They seemed so happy. So... perfect together. Like nothing could tear them apart. "What do you mean?" When the man looked at him, he could only see one emotion more than the others. _'That's... pain. But why? Wasn't he happy with Serah?'_ When his answer finally came, he felt like he couldn't even breathe. It was almost as if the same pain his past friend was feeling suddenly transferred to him.

"About a month ago, we officially divorced."


End file.
